All-around Diaw arrives

It was in 2005, just after the Spurs had won Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Detroit, and Tony Parker was leading a loud, celebratory parade of French nationals through the halls of the AT&T Center.

“I was one of the French guys,” Diaw said Friday. “That was me.”

If the Spurs win another title this season, Diaw hopes to have more to do with it. The Spurs added to their midseason makeover Friday, signing Diaw for the remainder of the season.

Diaw, a ninth-year pro, reached a buyout agreement earlier this week in Charlotte, where he had fallen out of favor with coach Paul Silas. The Spurs have been searching for frontcourt depth almost from the moment the NBA lockout ended.

The 6-foot-8 Diaw, who plays with Parker on the French national team and has known the Spurs point guard since high school, averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 37 games with the Bobcats this season.

In Wednesday’s 104-87 victory over Dallas, Diaw made his Spurs debut, contributing two points, three rebounds and an assist in 16 minutes, while also helping to harass Dirk Nowitzki into a 5-for-21 night.

“He’s an all-around player,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Diaw, 29. “There aren’t too many people who are all-around players.”

Conditioning has been a career-long problem for Diaw, and there has been speculation he was playing at above his listed weight of 235 pounds in Charlotte.

Diaw suggested the move might help him round back into shape.

“It’s a big motivation factor,” Diaw said.

Dirty play? Brian Cardinal whacked Tim Duncan across the face in the second quarter, drawing a Flagrant-1 foul and quite a staredown from Spurs swingman Stephen Jackson.

“To me, it was a dirty play,” Jackson said. “When you can’t play no more, I guess all you can do is go out and try to hurt people.”

Replays showed Cardinal swiping at the ball, albeit vigorously, before flooring Duncan. After a timeout, Duncan responded with a driving dunk.

“That’s how you have to reply to people like that,” Jackson said.

Manu at the point: With Parker out with a tight left hamstring, Manu Ginobili drew his first start of the season at point guard.

He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, going 4 for 11 and committing three turnovers in what he termed “a bad game.”

“I’m not used to starting now. Imagine starting at the point,” Ginobili said. “It was a new thing. But my bad game wasn’t because of that.”